A sometimes-pleasing SF romance hampered by clinical prose and underwhelming stakes.
Thompson’s debut novel, set in a dystopian future, follows the government’s best assassin as he finds himself falling in love for the first time and questioning his entire worldview.
Forty years after an apocalyptic global conflict, the remnants of humanity have been redistributed into “Sectors,” overseen by a government coalition called The Order. Coastal regions, which are home to society’s affluent elite, receive the bulk of resources, with Inland sectors beset by systemic poverty and violent repression. In addition to futuristic surveillance, citizens submit to government-approved employment, marriage, and procreation. Families are rewarded for genetically modifying their children; those who don’t, termed “Purebreds,” are forcibly segregated from society. In response, a faction of violent Purebred anarchists has surfaced, led by the wealthy Robertson family. Agent Chris Rockford, the government’s most trusted assassin, has one job: to neutralize the Robertsons and put an end to their terror campaign. However, on the eve of his final mission, Chris meets the captivating Jenna Macklemore, a Purebred woman with whom he begins a relationship. Her influence upends Chris’ sense of self as he grapples with his career, his prejudices, and the morals of his superiors; however, Jenna has a secret that could destroy their fledgling romance. This novel has a promising premise and a genuinely sweet love story at its center. However, it’s marred somewhat by a detached prose style that relies heavily on exposition, with exhaustively detailed explanations about what the main players are doing and thinking: “Another thing she could not help but love about him was that even with the confidence that came with being a Coastal…he had a shyness about him that was endearing, despite how in control and authoritative he was.” Also, Chris is so unquestionably in control, his resources so infinite, that his work never feels dangerous. As a result, the first half of the book drags, and scenes of espionage lack tension, although it picks up in the last third. And although the story superficially examines the eugenicist dystopia at its center, it fails to fully engage with it; perhaps the author will address it more fully in the planned sequel.
A sometimes-pleasing SF romance hampered by clinical prose and underwhelming stakes.Pub Date: Nov. 8, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-08-788985-6
Page Count: 360
Publisher: Indy Pub
Review Posted Online: Oct. 30, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Through palpable tension balanced with glimmers of hope, Hoover beautifully captures the heartbreak and joy of starting over.
The sequel to It Ends With Us (2016) shows the aftermath of domestic violence through the eyes of a single mother.
Lily Bloom is still running a flower shop; her abusive ex-husband, Ryle Kincaid, is still a surgeon. But now they’re co-parenting a daughter, Emerson, who's almost a year old. Lily won’t send Emerson to her father’s house overnight until she’s old enough to talk—“So she can tell me if something happens”—but she doesn’t want to fight for full custody lest it become an expensive legal drama or, worse, a physical fight. When Lily runs into Atlas Corrigan, a childhood friend who also came from an abusive family, she hopes their friendship can blossom into love. (For new readers, their history unfolds in heartfelt diary entries that Lily addresses to Finding Nemo star Ellen DeGeneres as she considers how Atlas was a calming presence during her turbulent childhood.) Atlas, who is single and running a restaurant, feels the same way. But even though she’s divorced, Lily isn’t exactly free. Behind Ryle’s veneer of civility are his jealousy and resentment. Lily has to plan her dates carefully to avoid a confrontation. Meanwhile, Atlas’ mother returns with shocking news. In between, Lily and Atlas steal away for romantic moments that are even sweeter for their authenticity as Lily struggles with child care, breastfeeding, and running a business while trying to find time for herself.
Through palpable tension balanced with glimmers of hope, Hoover beautifully captures the heartbreak and joy of starting over.Pub Date: Oct. 18, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-668-00122-6
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Atria
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2022
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
Slow and plodding.
A young woman with a magical ability to harness light discovers she is royalty.
Talasyn is a foot soldier for her homeland of Sardovia, which has been under attack for the past decade by the powerful and evil Night Empire, a conflict known as the Hurricane Wars. Talasyn is an orphan with no knowledge of her family, but she assumes they might be the source of her rare, magical Lightweaving talent. During a battle with the forces of the Night Empire, Talasyn spars with Prince Alaric, a fierce warrior who is the son and heir to the Night Emperor. Talasyn is sent on a covert mission into Nenavar, a nearby matriarchy that has remained neutral during the Hurricane Wars, to try to access a Light Sever which could hone and refine her magic. Instead, she discovers she is the heir to their royal throne; she and her mother, now presumed dead, disappeared under mysterious circumstances when she was a year old. Alaric follows her into Nenavar, and they discover his magical ability to cast darkness and shadows produces shocking results when mixed with her Lightweaving. A few weeks later, the Night Empire defeats Sardovia and ends the Hurricane Wars, and the novel transitions to a tedious, slow-moving story of court intrigue and diplomacy. A group of Sardovian soldiers and refugees seek asylum in Nenavar, but Talasyn’s grandmother agrees to protect them only if Talasyn agrees to join the royal court and marry Alaric. The politics surrounding the impending wedding is the primary plot for the rest of the novel, and it’s a slog. The glacially slow pacing only serves to highlight the confusing world building and underdeveloped characters. It’s unclear why Alaric and Talasyn are attracted to each other, and their tentative romance is just as stuck in a rut as the plot.
Slow and plodding.Pub Date: Oct. 3, 2023
ISBN: 9780063277274
Page Count: 480
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2023
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